Young Lawyers Division
Candidate for President-elect
Ryan Blay
Lakelaw, Kenosha
Email: rblay@lakelaw.com
Comments
It’s a tough time to be a new lawyer in Wisconsin. Fortunately we have a voice within the State Bar, and that is our Young Lawyers Division. Not only do we advocate for our most recent graduates, we have a voice on the State Bar Board of Governors with a seat reserved for the board’s past president. When there is talk of raising dues, as there has been recently, we’re the body that gives you a chance to be heard. That’s why I’ve attended a Board of Governors meeting as well as the meetings our own YLD Board holds.
I know the State Bar well from my time as board member and as current Secretary of the YLD. I also know the bar structure from serving on the planning committee for the returning Annual Meeting and Conference, from being a liaison to several sections and committees, and by coordinating events with local bar associations in Kenosha and Racine. My hope is that we can continue to push for a larger voice in the Board of Governors, build stronger connections to local bars, and to encourage more young lawyer leadership in the bar.
As part of the YLD board, I’ve also had the privilege of attending several American Bar Association events. Not only do we adopt ABA programming like Bully Proof, we actually have inspired other state young lawyers groups to hold leadership conferences like ours. At our leadership conference, we discuss the strengths and risks of combining leadership with our duties at work, offer free CLEs to our members, provide networking opportunities, and award one member as the Outstanding Young Lawyer. I was honored to present the Outstanding Young Lawyer award last year as chair of the nominations committee, help plan the networking activities for this year’s conference, and to promote YLD events through social media.
I’m the only president-elect candidate who can say he’s attended a Board of Governors meeting, has attended an ABA conference, and has served on our YLD’s Executive Committee. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope you’ll choose me to lead the YLD.
Biography
J.D. 2006, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
B.A./B.A. 2003, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Admitted to Practice in Illinois (2006) and Wisconsin (2009)
Current Practice: Associate, Lakelaw, Kenosha, Wisconsin (offices in Milwaukee, WI, Waukegan, IL, Skokie, IL, Chicago, IL)
Secretary 2013-14 State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division
Board of Directors 2012-13 State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division
Membership in the following organizations:
American Bankruptcy Institute, American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association, Kenosha County Bar Association, Lake County Bar Association, Milwaukee Bar Association, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, Racine County Bar Association, State Bar of Wisconsin Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Creditor’s Rights Section, Walworth County Bar Association
